Category: Openings/Closings

The Amsterdam Bar has shuttered after nearly 20 years of business. The bar, located in Exposition Park, abruptly announced that it was closing its doors for good via Facebook on Monday. We sent a photographer to capture the scene.

It’s not entirely fair of me to tell people to eat this now since Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots doesn’t officially open until Monday, March 2. However, the second they unlock their doors, stomp up to their counter and order yourself “The Combo.” Just do it. You won’t be sorry.

There’s a new addition to downtown Dallas’ dining scene that will add a little spice to your palate. Former Parkland Memorial Hospital dietician, Navin Hariprasad, made the decision to open a restaurant after answering numerous questions from patients about ways to make food with dietary restrictions more appetizing. Hariprasad says he wanted to take over the commercial kitchen and bring his vision to life. He wants to demonstrate how spices can be beneficial to health.

Taqueria La Ventana will open two new locations this year. The casual taco stand has signed a lease with the Dallas Farmers Market, and is scheduled to move into the downtown Dallas location early this summer.

Café Salsera, which is a coffeehouse, restaurant, and salsa lounge, is slated to open in Deep Ellum this spring. If you just let out a heavy sigh after reading that, followed by an uncomfortably loud “huh?” then you and I are on the same page.

Nick Badovinus confirms he has signed a lease on the space in Preston Center which, up until December 31, 2014, was the home of Spoon. Badovinus plans to open Montlake Cut, a love letter to his hometown of Seattle, by late spring.

If you’ve driven down Cedar Springs recently, then you’re probably aware of the construction that’s been going on at the old Nuvo space. The entire building was gutted, and has been reconstructed from the inside out. I drove past earlier today to see if anything new has been added, and spotted a neon yellow sign that reads “Quesa” mounted on front of the building.

Early this morning I spotted a group of men unloading a truck, and carrying what looked like shiny, new kitchen equipment into the Daily Juice space on Cedar Springs. I thought it was odd, especially since you don’t need an oven to make juice.

I was invited to dine at Café Momentum Friday night for one of their soft opening dinners. The space has come a long way since I stopped in a couple of weeks ago. Dark wooden tables adorned with orange gerbera daisies lined the dining room, which was buzzing with a young staff dressed in black and white gingham pearl snap western shirts. In between the lull of songs (primarily a mix of doo-wop and ’60s hits) the sound of entrees sizzling erupted from the open kitchen. It was a lively accompaniment to the neon white strobes of light that shot in every few minutes from passing DART trains. And while it wasn’t bustling (this was a soft opening, after all) a steady flow of diners were seated throughout the evening.

Mack Simpson has dreamed of opening a restaurant for a decade. Now, his dream has materialized into a cheese-filled reality. Simpson and a team of partners have transformed the old Book Doctor space at 310 W 7th St. into a rustic-chic grilled cheese restaurant, aptly named Dallas Grilled Cheese Company.